Aligning With What Is

As we open up our minds... and let go of our pre-conceived notions of "how things are"... as we let go of hazy, self-created mythologies about reality, and make our minds transparent to reality as it is... can it be true that the universe responds in kind?

Can it be true that what once agitated us (people, situations, the past, the future, ourselves), simply dissolves before our eyes (in a gradual manner), as we do the necessary work in liberating our minds from layer upon layer of CONCEPT?

I once wrote a short piece that "life is a dynamic", that life responds to our attitudes, and that it acts like a boomerang in bringing us what we send out for. This is not a new idea.

What if, our minds - the inner universe of thoughts, emotions, and beliefs - and life "out there", the arena that we perceive with our eyes and other senses, are intrinsically connected?

(P.S. Nothing that I link to should be taken as an endorsement... ultimately, we should not have to rely on anything outside ourselves for an understanding of life... all else are merely tools along the way, maybe to be discarded at some point in the journey, even though we can nevertheless cherish them in the light of gratitude.)

Life is an Ocean...

Life is an ocean.

Oceans come with furious waves and hard-hitting storms.

But without the fury of the waves and the devastation of the storms, the sailor would never become a ship master... and a skilled participant in the games the ocean throws.

For one day the true sailor will stop whining and let go of creating inner resistance about the waves and storms... and instead enjoy them as the games of growth and mastery that they truly are.

To become a master sailor is more important... to become a master sailor is more significant... than to live a life free of storms and the pain that storms bring.

Not Risking is Risky

While in London, I met a beautiful girl on the London Underground. We were sitting next to each other, and the course of events made it inevitable that we would begin talking.

After an initial intro-session, our conversation rolled to the topic of philosophy. She seemed very interested to talk about it (and philosophy is my intended major at university). So I thought I'd share something different with her than the usual academic theories of philosophy - a simple but profound philosophy of life:

To avoid risk in life is the riskiest of choices.

It is through risk that we can break through into new horizons of experience.

Vibrant Health is Not Arbitrary

One of the keys to a fulfilled life is vibrant health. Vibrancy is a matter of energy. With vibrant health (more energy), we can enjoy life more. We can be more creative and more responsive to our environments.

The enjoyment of good health is not arbitrary.

It does not come to you by good fortune or chance (strong genes may help, but are not necessarily primary). And in my perspective, it is not a matter of medicine or pharmaceutical drugs.

Good health is simply the natural result of intentionally aligning with nature's principles of good health.

Poor health is the natural result of misalignment with nature's principles of good health.

Two major reasons for misalignment are lack of knowledge (due to ignorance) and misleading information (due to special interests and shallow science). Other major reasons are doubt (lack of faith in the natural principles of good health), lack of caring for self, and lack of discipline.

Since health (on the physical, mental, emotional levels and beyond) is one of my deepest fascinations and a subject of ongoing study for me, I am going to share what I learn, on an ongoing basis, through this blog.

Where is Home? (Part II)

After my trip through England, Sweden and Iran this summer, do I feel more at peace with myself - with my past, my present, and my future?

Am I more excited about tackling the future that lies ahead, ripe with possibility and adventure?

The answer: I feel more strongly now than before my trip, that I have come from strong roots (with respect for my ancestors), have grown up in wonderful countries (with especial fondness for Sweden), that I am exactly where I am meant to be (with gratitude for Canada), and that my life path so far has traversed a path that has contained exactly the experiences I have needed for gaining a firm hand on the helm of my ship.

Yes, I feel more at peace with my past, with my multi-nation composition. By visiting and experiencing where I come from, I have gained understanding and a sense of closure on what's behind me.

And home is now where I allow my aspirations, commitments and friendships to unfold... yet, without closing any doors on anywhere else.

Kind of like a bird.

Where is Home? (Part I)

I am back from Tehran, the city I was born in (and left with my parents when I was two years old).

I am currently in London, England, where I will stay for a few days before I return to my current city of residence, Toronto, Canada. I never thought it would happen, but I actually miss Toronto (I used to hold negative attitudes to Toronto that started dissolving when I began to accept it, be curious about it, and jump into its opportunities).

Many people ask me: "how was Iran?". What a difficult question to answer!

Iran was many things to me, both lovely (such as meeting my cousins and being among an ocean of Farsi speakers) and frustrating (such as seeing the pathetic religious paternalism of the current government that shows disregard for free will and reeked of blasphemy in its forceful ways).

I wont go into details right now about my experience of Iran (maybe in a different post).

For me, the important question right now is: how do I feel about my place in the world after my trip through England, Sweden, and Iran (all these are countries that I have lived in)? Has my inner turmoil about having lived in five different countries been somewhat resolved?

Do I feel more at peace with myself - my past, my present, and my future?

Am I more excited about tackling the future that lies ahead, ripe with possibility and adventure?

The answers to the above questions are forthcoming...